Deter

Our nation's information technology (IT) infrastructure is vulnerable to numerous security risks, including security vulnerabilities within the IT supply chain. This research addresses the cyber-security risks and vulnerabilities that exist in the Federal IT infrastructure. It will provide new insights for prioritizing and deploying IT security mitigations in a budget-constrained environment. It will also develop tools that can be used by Federal decision-makers and other large organizations which make investments.

Mobile data are one of the fastest emerging forms of personal data. Ensuring the privacy and security of these data are critical challenges for the mobile device ecosystem. Mobile applications are easy to build and distribute, and can collect a large variety of sensitive personal data. Current approaches to protecting this data rely on security and privacy by design: encouraging developers to proactively implement security and privacy features to protect sensitive data.

Our computing systems are constantly under attack, by everyone from pranksters to agents of hostile nations. Many of those systems and networks make the task of the adversary easier by responding to attacks with useful information. This is because software and protocols have been written for decades to provide informative feedback for error detection and correction. It is precisely this behavior that enhances the chances of success by attackers, by allowing them to map networks and determine system flaws.

Semantic attacks are efforts by others to steal valuable information by imitating electronic communications from a trustworthy source. A common example of a semantic attack is phishing where a phisher sends unsolicited messages to potential targets. When a targeted individual responds, the phisher then steals valuable information from the individual. Semantic attacks flow through established channels of communication (e.g., email, social media) and are difficult to distinguish from legitimate messages.

The design of smart electric grids and buildings that automatically optimize their energy generation and consumption is critical to advancing important societal goals, including increasing energy-efficiency, improving the grid's reliability, and gaining energy independence. To enable such optimizations, smart grids and buildings increasingly rely on Internet-connected sensors in smart devices, including digital electric meters, web-enabled appliances and lighting, programmable outlets and switches, and intelligent HVAC systems.